Super Rugby

WhistleSANZAR has announced the Match Official appointments for Round 6 of the 2015 Super Rugby season.

This weekend once again only sees 6 games in stead of the usual 7 games.

The Blues, Reds and DHL Stormers all have a BYE weekend.

There will be 2 games on Friday 20 March, 3 games on Saturday 21 March and 1 game on Sunday 22 March 2015.

The weekend’s action is kicked off by Ben O’Keeffe, when the Highlanders host the Hurricanes in Dunedin on Friday, 08:35 SA Time, whereafter Mike Fraser takes charge of the game between the Melbourne Rebels and the Emirates Lions at 10:40 SA Time, also on Friday.

On Saturday Andrew Lees will referee the game between the Crusaders and the Toyota Cheetahs at 08:35 SA Time, well before Nick Briant takes charge of the game between the Vodacom Bulls against the Western Force at 17:05 SA Time. At 19:10 SA Time on Saturday evening the Cell C Sharks take on the rampant Chiefs, refereed by Angus Gardner.

On Sunday we have one lone match between the Waratahs and Brumbies, where Craig Joubert will be in charge, at 07:05 SA Time.

3 Games are of particular interest this weekend, namely the derby between the giant killing Highlanders vs Hurricanes who is the only unbeaten side in 2015. Thereafter on Saturday evening, the Cell C Sharks are up against the Chiefs who is in superb nick and on Sunday we have the tasty Aussie derbie between the Waratahs and Brumbies.

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Callie Visagie

Callie Visagie

Akona Ndungane

Akona Ndungane

Vodacom Bulls hooker Callie Visagie and wing Akona Ndungane has been ruled of out action for this weekend’s VodacomSuper Rugby match against the Western Force at Loftus Versfeld, it was confirmed on Monday.

Ndungane has in fact been ruled out for a month after he broke his hand, while Visagie will miss the clash against the Perth side due to a chest injury.

Jacques-Louis Potgieter, who missed the last match against the Toyota Cheetahs due to a hamstring strain, will train on Tuesday and should be fit to be considered for the weekend.

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Duane Vermeulen

Duane Vermeulen

Stormers captain Duane Vermeulen will not play in the team’s next Super Rugby match, against the Highlanders in Dunedin on 28 March.

Vermeulen played his 5th consecutive match for the Stormers when they hosted the Chiefs at Newlands this past weekend.

According an agreement between the SA Rugby Union and the Super Rugby franchises, key Springboks will not be allowed to play more than 5 games on the trot in this year’s competition, in order to keep them fresh for the Rugby World Cup later in the year.

This means centre Juan de Jongh will take over the captaincy for the game against the Highlanders, with Schalk Burger likely to be included in the starting team.

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Pieter-Steph du Toit

Pieter-Steph du Toit

Cell C Sharks lock Pieter-Steph du Toit has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a knee injury sustained in his side’s win over the Toyota Cheetahs on Saturday.

Du Toit’s injury is a huge blow to the Sharks and the Springboks as it means he is almost certainly ruled out of the World Cup in England later this year.

Du Toit left the field during the first half after he twisted his knee during a tackle. The 22-year-old tore his anterior cruciate ligament on the same knee where a similary injury kept him on the sidelines for most of the 2014 season.

He hopped on a plane to Cape Town to see a surgeon while there were mixed emotions among his team-mates, who headed to Durban after their 29-10 victory over the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein.

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Nick Mallett

Nick Mallett

Former Springbok coach Nick Mallett says the DHL Stormers made wrong substitutions in their loss to the Chiefs at Newlands last Saturday.

The Stormers annihilated the Chiefs at scrum time, with Steven Kitshoff and Vincent Koch wrecking havoc.

The home side led 13 / 3 at one stage, but let things slip, eventually going down 28 / 19.

Alistair Vermaak and Frans Malherbe replaced Kitshoff and Koch in the 61st minute of the match, while Neil Rautenbach also replaced Scarra Ntubeni at hooker in the 63rd minute. These substitutions gave the Chiefs breathing room up front and enabled them to take control of proceedings.

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James Broadhurst

James Broadhurst

The SANZAR Duty Judicial Officer Robert Stelzner SC has accepted a guilty plea from James Broadhurst of the Hurricanes for contravening Law 10.4 (a) Punching or striking, after he was cited following a Super Rugby match at the weekend.

Broadhurst has been suspended from all forms of the game for 1 week up to and including 20 March 2015.

The incident occurred in the 61st minute of the match between the Hurricanes and Blues played at FMG Stadium in Palmerston North on 13 March 2015.

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Liam Gill

Liam Gill

The SANZAR Duty Judicial Officer Robert Stelzner SC has accepted a guilty plea from Liam Gill of the Reds for contravening Law 10.4 (j) Lifting Tackle, after he was cited following a Super Rugby match at the weekend.

Gill has been suspended from all forms of the game for 2 weeks up to and including 28 March 2015.

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Joe Wheeler

Joe Wheeler

Patrick Osborne

Patrick Osborne

Highlanders wing Patrick Osborne and lock Joe Wheeler have signed new contracts with the Dunedin-based franchise until the end of the 2016 season.

Osborne was happy to sign a new deal and said he was enjoying his stint with the Highlanders since joining them in 2014.

“I guess I had a few options to consider before deciding my future, in the end the lifestyle my family has down here and the rugby I have been playing, pretty much made up my mind that the Highlanders was the best option for me,” he said.

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Super RugbyThe Cell C Sharks scored an impressive bonus point victory in Bloemfontein as the 3 other South African Vodacom Super Rugby sides in action in Round 5 faltered.

The Emirates Lions could not emulate their win from last weekend as they came up against a Crusaders side hitting their straps in Christchurch on Saturday morning, with the Cantabrians running out comfortable winners (34 / 6).

On a sunny Cape Town afternoon, the DHL Stormers’ impressive 4-match winning run came to a sudden end as they were beaten by 28 / 19 by the Chiefs, who outscored their hosts by 3 tries to 1. The home team dropped from 1st to 3rd on the Combined Log.

In the final match of the weekend, the Cell C Sharks ended a mini-slump with a 27 / 10 victory over the Toyota Cheetahs in Bloemfontein, which saw the team from Durban move into the Top 6 on the Combined Log.

It was the Durbanites’ 1st try-scoring bonus point away from home in a local derby in almost 3 years.

The Vodacom Bulls had a BYE this weekend while there were yet again more away victories (4r) than home wins (3).

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CheetahsCell C SharksThe Cell C Sharks picked up their second victory of the Super Rugby campaign as they saw off the Toyota Cheetahs 27 / 10 in Bloemfontein on Saturday.

An improved performance was always on the cards following the defeat the men from Durban suffered against Stormers in their previous outing and the revival particularly at scrum-time will be encouraging for both the Super Rugby team and the Springbok coaching set-up.

The experience Tendai Mtawarira and brothers Bismarck and Jannie du Plessis brought to the game was crucial on the day, but the real winner for the Sharks was their defence against a Cheetahs outfit that was predictably full of running.

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DHL StormersChiefsThe Chiefs inflicted the DHL Stormers’ first defeat of the Super Rugby season, winning 28 / 19 in Cape Town on Saturday.

In a pulsating encounter, the former champions outscored their hosts 3 tries to 1, with flyhalf Aaron Cruden chipping in with 18 points, scoring a try and setting up another along the way.

The result moves the Chiefs level with the Hurricanes at the top of the New Zealand conference, 2 points behind the tournament-leading Brumbies in the overall standings. The Stormers are 2 points further adrift.

In front of a crowd of over 42 000, the Stormers led 16 / 13 at the interval.

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Western ForceThe Western Force has announced its 28-man travelling squad for the 2-match South African leg of Super Rugby.

Flanker Angus Cottrell (ankle), fullback Dane Haylett-Petty (foot) and winger Luke Morahan (hamstring) are set to make their returns from injury and will travel to ‘the Republic’ with the 23 players involved in Friday night’s match against the Melbourne Rebels.

Lock Wilhelm Steenkamp, who started off the bench in last Friday’s match against the Brumbies, has been selected in the Force squad, as has Greater Sydney Rams prop Guy Millar, who will provide additional coverage in the front row, following Francois van Wyk’s season-ending pectoral injury suffered against the Reds a fortnight ago.

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Liam Gill of the Reds has been cited for alleged foul play during a Super Rugby match at the weekend.

Gill is alleged to have contravened 10.4 (j) Lifting Tackle, in an incident which occurred in the 47th minute of the Super Rugby match between the Reds and Brumbies at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on 14 March 2015.

The referee for the match, Andrew Lees, referred the incident to the television match official and issued a yellow card. Upon further review of the match footage, the Citing Commissioner deemed in his opinion the incident had met the red card threshold for foul play.

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James Broadhurst

James Broadhurst

James Broadhurst of the Hurricanes has been cited for alleged foul play during a Super Rugby match at the weekend.

Broadhurst is alleged to have contravened 10.4 (a) Punching or striking, in an incident which occurred in the 61st minute of the Super Rugby match between the Hurricanes and Blues at FMG Stadium in Palmerston North on 13 March 2015.

Upon further review of the match footage, the Citing Commissioner deemed in his opinion the incident had met the Red Card threshold for foul play.

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RedsBrumbiesReds (0) 0 / 29 (10) Brumbies (Final Score)

The Reds and Brumbies did battle in Super Rugby at

Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane at 10:40 SA Time (18:40 Brisbane Time, 19:40 AEDT, 08:40 GMT).

This was the live match discussion Article.

The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 on TV in SA.

*******************

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Super RugbyIt is Round 5 of Super Rugby 2015 this weekend.

There are 2 games on Friday 13 March and 5 games on Saturday 14 March.

The Vodacom Bulls have a BYE weekend.

The first 4 Rounds were very unpredictable and the local South African derbies in Round 4 had some stunning results.

2 Undefeated teams remain in 2015, all of whom are in action this weekend. Will these undefeated teams simply kick on and retain their unbeaten status, or will they be pegged back this weekend.

In the South African derby this weekend, between the Toyota Cheetahs against the Cell C Sharks, once again picking a winer is a difficult task…  The game between the DHL Stormers and the Chiefs in Cape Town will also be a biggie!

Round 5 promises so much!

The Friday games are: Hurricanes vs Blues in Palmerston North and Western Force vs Melbourne Rebels in Perth. On Saturday the action starts at sparrow fart, SA Time, with the Crusaders hosting the Emirates Lions at 05:30 SA Time in Christchurch, whereafter the Highlanders take on the Waratahs in Dunedin and then it’s the Reds hosting the Brumbies in  Brisbane, before the Action shifts to South Africa. thew DHL Stormers take on the Chiefs in an earlier than normal time, at 15:00 SA Time in Cape Town, after which the Weekend’s Super Rugby concludes with the derby between the Toyota Cheetahs and Cell C Sharks in Bloemfontein.

The earlier than usual Super Rugby starts in SA gives us the opportunity to also do a Live Game Article for some SIX Nations action on Saturday, when England and Scotland play in the Clacutta Cup game at 19:00 SA Time and then on Sunday we will also feature the Italy vs France game at 16:00 SA Time.

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WhistleSANZAR has announced the Match Official appointments for Round 5 of the 2015 Super Rugby season, including Shaun Veldsman’s return to the TMO box in Cape Town after recovering from a recent knife attack.

The Action is started off by Glen Jackson in the match between the Hurricanes vs Blues and followed on Friday with Rohan Hoffmann officiating in the game between the Western Force vs Melbourne Rebels.

On Saturday, Nick Briant takes care of the Crusaders vs Emirates Lions clash, followed by Craig Joubert in the Highlanders vs Waratahs clash, followed by Andrew Lees in the Reds vs Brumbies clash. Later on Saturday Jaco Peyper is the Referee in the DHL Stormers vs Chiefs clash and the weekend is concluded with Chris Pollock officiating in the Toyota Cheetahs vs Cell C Sharks clash.

Hopefully we see some correct and cosistent officiating in Round 5 and no matches are adversely affected by dubious decisions by the officialdom.

There has been some seriously contentious decision-making by Referees, Assistant Referees and maybe even more worryingly so by the TMO’s in Super Rugby, the Varsity Cup and even the SIX Nations in 2015. Something will have to be done to bring more consistency between interpretations of match officials and to get fair results, failing which the game of Rugby Union will continue to suffer and lose part of it’s supporter base. Just this week I have spoken to 2 individuals who have indicated that they have lost all interest in rugby due to the nature of officiating!

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Arno Botha

Arno Botha

The Vodacom Bulls are enjoying a BYE during this weekend’s Vodacom Super Rugby action and this will help the squad to get rid of little niggles, aches and pains. Chomping at the bit will be flanker Arno Botha, who is now fit again, having played off the bench for the Vodacom Blue Bulls in the Vodacom Cup this weekend and playing in a starting position in the Vodacom Cup side on the weekend.

The rest will also result in a break for Callie Visagie (ribs), Lappies Labuschagne (SC joint) and Jacques-Louis Potgieter (hamstring), who will all again train next Monday.

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Cheslin Kolbe

Cheslin Kolbe

There’s a lot of fuss being made in the Cape about where Cheslin Kolbe should be deployed in the DHL Stormers team following Nick Mallett’s comments from the Supersport studio that he should perhaps play scrumhalf because of his size.

There has also been some hysterical overreaction to the attention paid to Kolbe by Cell C Sharks centre Frans Steyn in the coastal derby last weekend.

However, when it comes to the player himself, and the management who decide where he plays, it is a case of all calm on the western front. Kolbe knows he is playing a physical sport where the gladiatorial attitude prevails, and that opposition targeting you just comes with the territory in rugby and can actually be seen as a compliment.

As for the coaches, they don’t agree with critics who, because they believe Kolbe is not featuring as much on the counter-attack as he did during last year’s Currie Cup, feel that he is not himself at present.

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Eben Etzebeth

Eben Etzebeth

The Stormers are sweating over the availability of Eben Etzebeth after the Springbok lock injured his shoulder in their 29 / 13 Super Rugby win over the Sharks at Newlands last weekend.

“Lock Eben Etzebeth took a bang on his shoulder against the Sharks which has affected his previous (chest) injury a bit, which is normal for 2 injuries in such close proximity. He is a bit uncomfortable and a call will be made on his participation later this week,” read a statement on the Stormers’ official website.

Etzebeth missed the entire 2014 Super Rugby season with an ankle injury, and was sidelined for the first 3 games on this year’s campaign following a chest injury sustained in pre-season.

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Jannie du PlessisJannie du Plessis may not have been involved in the weekend’s scrumming massacre at the hands of the Stormers, but he has examined the evidence and given his diagnosis on what went wrong.

The Sharks efforts against the Stormers at Newlands on Saturday steadily disintegrated as the game went on.

Their set piece meltdown culminated in three tightheads over a period of 15 minutes.

Du Plessis might not have had a front-row seat on Saturday’s proceeding, but he did manage to get his hands on a video which he scrutinized at length.

“I was certainly not expecting it (conceding three tightheads in 15 minutes),” the Springbok tighthead said.

“We had prepared really well, but there are a few technical things that went wrong.

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Michael Rhodes

Michael Rhodes

Saracens are delighted to announce the signing of Michael Rhodes from the Stormers.

Michael Rhodes, the Stormers and Western Province forward, will join Saracens at the start of next season, adding South African power to the wolf pack.

Mark McCall, Director of Rugby, said: “We have some time ago identified Michael as a player who could  make significant contribution to the squad, playing in the second row or the back row, carrying the ball and we are confident we can provide an environment where he will realise his full potential. We’re delighted he will be joining us next season.”

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Sam Cane

Sam Cane

The Chiefs may have felt they deserved to win against the Highlanders after dominating play, but that is behind them as they now focus on their tour to South Africa.

The Chiefs next match is away in Cape Town against the undefeated DHL Stormers on 14 March, they then travel up the coast to Durban to take on the Cell C Sharks in what is sure to be a tough tour.

The South Africa opposition does not end there as their 1st fixture back home is to the traveling Cheetahs.

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DHL Stormers vs Cell C Sharks

The DHL Stormers remained unbeaten and still Top of the South African Conference, by defeating the Sharks 34 / 13 in a feisty derby.

A super solo score by Johnny Kotze and a Penalty Try against Springbok scrumhalf Cobus Reinach, wrapped up a deserved win for the Stormers, their 4th of the season.

It’s early days but the Stormers now look like South Africa’s best hope of a Super Rugby title in 2015, based on their start to the year and the questionable form of their rivals.

When it mattered, their growing composure shone through in Cape Town, undaunted by the larger number of Springboks in the Sharks’ ranks.

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Vodacom Bulls vs Toyota Cheetahs

The Vodacom Bulls’ recent revival continued as they secured a 39 / 20 victory over the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein on Saturday… moving them to 2nd in the SA Conference.

Handré Pollard was the visitors’ hero as he contributed 29 points via a try, 5 penalties, 3 conversions and a drop-goal. After last weekend’s morale-boosting win over the Sharks, Bulls coach Frans Ludeke will be delighted with the way his side dominated this game for large periods.

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Blues vs Lions

The Blues went down to their fourth-straight loss of the Super Rugby campaign on Saturday as they lost 13 / 10 to the Lions at QBE Stadium in North Harbour.

Errors aplenty, low confidence in attack and a failure to turn pressure into points cost the Blues as they crashed to a disappointing home defeat.

Meanwhile, the Lions will take their smash and grab victory with both hands as they head to the Crusaders with a tour win under their belt.

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Gary Gold

Gary Gold

After enduring a disappointing start to the season, Sharks coach Gary Gold has called on his side to ‘man-up’ and pull together.

Much is expected of a squad loaded with Springboks, but they have yet to realise their potential this season, with just 1 win from their first 4 games.

Gold said that the key to turning things around will be to remain united and take a hard look at which areas of their game are letting them down.

“This is certainly not the start we wanted in Super Rugby but it is important now to man-up and carry on with the fight.

“It is a long competition and we have got some work to do, no question of a doubt.

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Chris Kuridrani

Chris Kuridrani

Chris Kuridrani of the Reds has been cited for alleged foul play during a Super Rugby match at the weekend.

Kuridrani is alleged to have contravened 10.4 (e) Dangerous tackling and 10.4 (g) Dangerous charging, in an incident which occurred in the 21st minute of the Super Rugby match between the Reds and Waratahs at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on 7 March 2015.

Upon further review of the match footage, the Citing Commissioner deemed in his opinion the incident had met the red card threshold for foul play.

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